By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
FARMINGTON – Some games you just survive. Last Friday was one of those for the Farmington football team, which found itself in a 14-point hole against Macomb before touching the ball on offense.
From there, the Farmers did just enough right to hand the Bombers a first loss, 26-20, in overtime.
The victory gives No. 2-ranked Farmington (6-0, 5-0) a firm grip on first place in the LincolnLand Conference large division headed into Friday’s crossover game against resurgent Annawan-Wethersfield.
“I think there was a little hangover from the Elmwood game,” Farmington Coach Toby Vallas said in reference to the 40-0 win over rival Elmwood-Brimfield last week. “It didn’t seem like our normal team.”
Farmington’s normal standouts made plays down the stretch to seal the win, though.
On the first possession of overtime, Farmington quarterback Lane Wheelwright ran 11 yards to score on a third-and-goal play.
“It was a scramble. That’s the best play in the playbook,” Vallas said. “He got hit at the 5 and just ran through a kid. I don’t think he threw the ball the best he’s thrown it, but he was the difference down the stretch – his toughness and competitiveness.”
The conversion attempt failed, though, leaving the door slightly ajar for Macomb (5-1, 4-1), ranked No. 10 in Class 4A.
But Jack Gronewold intercepted a pass on the Bombers’ first play of overtime to seal the victory and virtually assure Farmington another conference title.
Gronewold also caught touchdown passes of 17 and 50 yards, the longer catch capping a 20-0 run by Farmington to open a 20-14 lead with 3:55 left in the third quarter.
But Macomb tied things early in the fourth quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass. The extra point, however, was low and Vallas said Farmers lineman Caden Mowen blocked it with “his face.”
Macomb also scored on a 69-yard pass on the second play of the game. The Bombers recovered the ensuing pop-up onside kick and scored on a fourth-and-5 pass play.
“Their speed shocked us. They were by far the fastest team we’ve seen,” Vallas said. “And I just think we were out of synch and defensively I did not think we played very well.”
Vallas said a better showing is needed vs. A-W (4-2), which has survived losing all-state running back Zeb Rashid and quarterback/linebacker Brody Childs to injury. The Titans routed Havana last week, 61-34, and have outscored their last three foes 139-42.
“If anybody has had our number, we’re about 50-50 with those guys,” Vallas said. “I have a ton of respect for them. They’ll play anybody and they play tough and if they lose, they’ll walk off and shake your hands. There’s never an excuse from them.”
Vallas said Rashid may return after missing all but a few snaps so far this year due to a hamstring injury.
Elmwood-Brimfield 27
Bureau Valley 21
MANLIUS – In the final 32 seconds of this wild game, the Trojans survived three passes attempted into the end zone and two pass interference calls – the first more legitimate than the second.
The shaky call gave Bureau Valley a play with no time on the clock from the 4-yard line.
Storm quarterback Bryce Helms attempted to run it in but was stopped short by E-B seniors Erik Vazquez and Tommy Burkitt.
That ended a LincolnLand large-division game E-B (5-1, 4-1) looked to have in hand a few times. The Trojans were hurt by two costly fumbles, an interception and a snap over the punter’s head.
The errant snap set up Bureau Valley (3-3, 2-2) for its final drive. The fumbles and interception derailed E-B drives and had Coach Todd Hollis thanking his team for bailing him out after what he called some bad play calls.
In particular, Hollis mentioned a third-quarter interception that came after Jonnie Lance recovered a fumble and E-B took a 20-7 lead on a 20-yard scoring run by Bo Windish.
“That was a mistake. We got the ball back and I wanted to go for a shot and we had a bunch of momentum there,” Hollis said. “What I should have done is what was working. Which was running the ball and keep mashing it a little bit.”
The Trojans led 13-7 at halftime on a 59-yard scoring run by Matthew Glenn and a 45-yard pass from CJ Ramirez to Windish with 19.5 seconds before halftime.
E-B appeared to be in control again midway through the fourth quarter after Glenn capped a long drive with a 3-yard TD run. But Bureau Valley followed that with a long scoring drive of its own to make the score 27-21.
“They were 3-2 for a reason,” Hollis said. “Two weeks ago they got beat up pretty good (in a 54-6 loss at Farmington) and they’ve adjusted how they are calling their offense. Spreading it around more.”
B-V finished with 328 yards to 333 for the Trojans, who got 159 rushing yards from Glenn and 101 from Windish.
E-B was without linebacker JT Good and defensive end Derek Cox, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Due to bangs and bruises, other players also missed time during the game.
“We’re a little bit thin,” Hollis said. “We had some guys who got a few plays who don’t normally get a few plays. And they were ready. It says a lot about our guys on scout team that they are working their butts off and are ready to jump in and perform.”
Good may return Friday for E-B’s homecoming game vs. Macomb.
• Elsewhere – Illini West (3-3, 2-3) won its third straight, 32-20, over Knoxville with a big-play offense that had a 25-yard TD pass by Max Kinnamon on a reverse and scoring runs of 41, 14, 13 and 2 yards.
Knoxville (1-5, 1-4) had 280 rushing yards and three TD runs of 20-plus yards. … West Hancock (1-5, 1-3) routed LVC, 42-8, with all its points in the first three quarters.
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